Food Safety Focus (191th Issue, June 2022) – Article 3

Targeted Surveillance on Nutrition Labelling of Prepackaged Candies and Chocolates

Nutrition labels are a tool informing consumers about the nutrition content of food. To this end, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) has all along been conducting targeted surveillance for checking the compliance with legal requirements as well as the accuracy of nutrition labels of food items on the market. In May, the CFS released the test results of a targeted food surveillance project on the nutrition labelling of prepackaged candies and chocolates.

Three out of 40 samples were found to have discrepancies between the tested values and declared values of the sodium content on their nutrition labels. All the other samples passed the test. The CFS had announced the irregularities earlier and instructed the vendors concerned to stop selling the affected batch. The trade is reminded to comply with the law and ensure the nutrition labels are correct. The public is advised to read nutrition labels so as to make informed food choices based on their health needs.